Success Stories

Our graduates are proud of their experience at Franklin Academy!

Rhalesha Kennedy

My name is Rhalesha Kennedy, and I am a proud graduate from Franklin Academy. I have been doing hair for more than 17 years; however, I have been a licensed cosmetologist for 2 years now. Here is my story…

I attended Franklin Academy back in 2007/2008, my son was 2 years old and my daughter was 3 months old. Being a single mother, going to cosmetology school, & working was just too much for me. Even though being a hairstylist was my passion & my dream, I had to make a choice. I had to give up my dream to care for my children. Giving it up made me sick, but as a single mother my choice was clear, I had to provide for my children. I made it through those rough times, & through those sacrifices good things came my way.

So 7 years later I decided to chase my dream again! I once again re enrolled at Franklin Academy. It took me 11 months to finish my dream!!! There were rough days and obstacles, but I did it!! I did it with the help of my great instructor, who gave me some great advice, she told me to never give up, & she pushed me to finish! So I did, & I graduated April of 2016. I had thought I was all set, I had chosen the Salon I wanted to work at & thought I was good to go…little did I know it wasn’t going to work out. However, that ended up being a blessing in disguise. I went to work for Rustic Hair Bar in Charleston, Tn. It was great until some bad business decisions were made. It wasn’t long after that, I was presented with the opportunity to purchase the salon. This was again another dream that was now becoming a reality. The struggle was real; I had never owned my own business. I had a lot to learn!! Paying bills & keeping up was definitely something I had to learn, and it wasn’t easy, but I did it! I learned to that our location wasn’t exactly the best area… so after lots of research and discussions with my staff, I decided to relocate to Cleveland. We made that transition a few months ago, and I couldn’t be happier. Things are going great! Profit isn’t where I want it to be right now, but I know its coming. We are building Rustic Hair Bar. I am the happiest I’ve ever been, I am living my dream and building a future. Now my kids can see just what you can do when you really want something & are willing to work hard for it. This past year and half has been crazy and amazing at the same time. I will forever be grateful and thankful to Franklin Academy for helping me achieve my dreams!

Daniel Graham

I was loading trucks in a warehouse, and hated it! After a conversation with my cousin we decided we would go to hair school, and open a barbershop. This led me to check out Franklin Academy. I came in for a tour, and signed up that day. This was unknowingly the beginning of what would become one of my best decisions in my life. That’s NO exaggeration. I had absolutely zero knowledge of the hair industry. Franklin Academy taught me so much more than I realized at the time. Everything from holding my shears correctly to preparing me to pass my state boards on the first try.

I learned quickly in school, that I wanted to cut men’s hair. After finishing Franklin and passing my state boards I went to work at a local barber shop. I loved it! However, the shop did not have the business to support a new professional. This made it nearly impossible to build a clientele. Luckily, I had another shop recruit me. Being in an established shop with plenty of overflow helped me hone my skill set and provide for my family better than ever before.

After a few years of building my clientele and mastering my craft I opened my own shop. I put everything I had into my business. Literally, I opened for business with fingers crossed and $17 in my bank account. Best move for my career yet! I was open for six weeks before I had to hire another stylist. Four months later we had to hire another. Business has taken off extremely fast, and keeps growing. I am beyond grateful for everything the hair industry has givien me, and it all started at Franklin Academy.

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About Franklin Academy

Franklin Academy is a private non-profit institution whose primary mission is to train students for careers in the beauty industry in a student-centered learning environment while being responsive to employment trends. See how we can help you plan for your future today!